Echoes of the past: The long-lasting effects of entrepreneurs' generational imprints on value-creation models

Abstract

We draw from theories of generations and imprinting to introduce an alternative conceptualization of the effects of age on entrepreneurship—namely, entrepreneurs' generational imprints. We theorize how imprinted characteristics of entrepreneurs from a conservative generation (vs. a progressive generation) are positively (negatively) associated with higher levels of financial returns and negatively (positively) associated with higher engagement in corporate social responsibility. In two studies in the Mexican context, we find that entrepreneurs from a conservative generation create more financial value than social value, while entrepreneurs from a progressive generation create more social value than financial value. We also explore the intervening mechanisms and find that entrepreneurs who are more embedded in the church and their families and have more family obligations are more likely to experience generational imprinting. We further show that women tend to experience generational imprinting differently than men, leading to important heterogeneity in our results. Finally, we find that older entrepreneurs experience generational imprints more acutely than their counterparts. Overall, this study provides new insights into entrepreneurs' generational imprints and demonstrates how and why generational imprinting matters in entrepreneurial research.